55. Bunch of New Friends

As they slipped through the entrance behind the boulder, a staircase stretched before them, leading toward the heart of the island. The steps were beautifully carved, seemingly untouched by time or decay. It was unsettling—too clean, too new, as if someone had built them just yesterday. Weapons drawn, they ascended cautiously, expecting an ambush. The island had been crawling with cannibals before, yet now, a strange silence hung in the air. No signs of life. No flickering torches. No distant murmurs. It was as if the entire island had been wiped clean. The river ahead, once frozen solid, now flowed freely, its icy prison shattered. But something was off. The boat was gone. No means of crossing. Just as they started processing this, a sound drifted through the air—low, guttural, almost whispering. It wasn’t the wind. It wasn’t the river. It was something else. Something coming. Emric stepped forward, unbothered by the haunting whispers. He raised two fingers to his lips and let out a s